Prayer Watches

by Chuck D. Pierce

First Watch!
The Evening Watch! The Evening watch begins at 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm. In “Reordering Your Day”, we find that this is a time that we need to “still” ourselves from the world and to meditate. One of the scriptures for this watch is Genesis 24:63, “Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening. He lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming.” In Isaac’s place of meditation he saw his future.
We need to meditate until we see our future. Meditation quiets our emotions, realigns our mind, and frees our will to do the will of God. What we could not hear clearly, we begin to hear. Meditation is like a cow chewing her cud. Cows have four stomachs that each mouthful of food must be processed through, until what is being chewed fully enters the blood stream. This is a season when we must see from the vantage point of the wilderness. When Isaac lifted his eyes, there was Eliezer bringing Rebekah back to be his bride. This actually created the extension of the covenant of Abraham in the earth. During this watch we want to get focused on God’s covenant plan that will bring us through the season of wilderness and out on the other side with a mindset for success.
The first watch is linked with the call of God upon the life of Israel. This is synonymous to the call of God on our life. If we will enter into the watch, then we can see His time of visitation. There is a time of visitation for each one of us. Every nation has a time of visitation. Of course, this verse refers to the nation of Israel but is applicable to each one of us as well.

The Second Watch !
The Midnight Watch! This watch begins at 9:00 pm and ends at Midnight. In Reordering Your Day , Chuck explains that this is the time for thanksgiving as well as visitation. During this watch God is dealing with the enemies that are trying to keep us from entering into His perfect plan for our lives. Expect some warfare during this watch. Set the Blood of our Lord between you and every demonic force that could hinder you from gaining the revelation you need to advance.
During this watch see the enemies in the wilderness that would try to extend and enlarge our wilderness time, delay their destruction, and obstruct our promises. The second watch is also a time of scattering and we want to gather up all the fragments of what has been scattered. One of the scriptures for this watch is Exodus 11:4, “Then Moses said, ‘Thus says the LORD ‘About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt…..’” As we pray during this watch we want to carry the expectation that the Lord will intervene and deliver us as a triumphant reserve, into our destiny.
The second watch comes when we get scattered. As we can see from the verse above, if we do not watch, then we get scattered. If you never develop a personal discipline of watching, then you will find your life scattered, instead of being ordered. The second watch also represents times of Israel’s scattering.

Third Watch !
The Breaking of the Day (Cockcrowing) Watch! From Midnight until 3:00 AM, the focus of the previous watch continues with the additional understanding that there is much spiritual activity occurring during this time period, including our own dream realm. The focus in this Third Watch should be an increase in the communications from the Lord into our dream life. We want to particularly focus our prayer on those that may be growing weary in the wilderness. Peter’s denial of the Lord came during this watch and we want to focus on combating doubt and unbelief, and calling for increased discernment and revelation to recognize and get into the path of the Lord. We want to war with any covenant breaking spirits in our lives and the lives of those occupying the territories we are praying and standing in intercession for. During this watch we want to particularly hear the revelation that will cause us to see our circumstances in a different way.
Recently, I heard the Lord say, “The Midnight Hour is where your victory lies!” In the word of God, midnight could represent the concept of intense darkness or even gloom. However, MIDNIGHT usually meant halfway between dark and the breaking of the light or the middle-point of the night before the light could break through. I believe that is where we are in our lives. When I look at the USA, I believe this describes the time we are living in.
The third watch is linked with the concept of Peter’s denial. The third watch represents the trial of our faith. Instead of watching, Peter hid for fear and the Lord warned that he would deny Him three times before the cock crowed. There have been times when Israel, as a nation, has denied the Messiah’s coming. If we will watch prior to the crowing of the cock, our faith will be made strong.

The Fourth Watch!
The Morning Watch – A New Day Dawning! Beginning at 3:00 AM and ending at 6:00 AM, this watch is linked with the approaching morning light and the breaking of the day. When daylight comes, your position is exposed to the eyes of the enemy. During this watch, you become covered with the glory of the Lord. Read Exodus 14:24. We want to focus on staying covered in the cloud of His glorious presence by day, while the Lord troubles the forces of resistance aligned against us. In 2 Kings 11 ,we find a pattern of focus for this watch linked into a new government forming and a royal positioning. One third of the resources were spent watching at the King’s house! One third of the forces were spent watching at the Gate of Sur which means ‘Defectors or those who would turn back’! Finally, one third of the resources were spent watching at the gate as a rear guard! In this way the Lord’s plan for His people was safeguarded because the next move of the King was compassed or surrounded. We want to focus our prayers during this time on watching for the King’s timing for transition, guarding our hearts against defection or discouragement that would cause us to turn back, and rear guarding all those that are praying in the previous watches in the night.
The fourth watch comes during the Lord’s time of revealing His glory. There is a breaking of a new day. This is where the identity of our future is established. Even with all of Israel’s problems throughout history, as a nation they have a wonderful future. They are God’s chosen nation of example. All nations align and reconcile around their relationship with Israel. This watch also represents the power of resurrection as we watch with the Lord. If you will continue to watch with the Lord, then you will experience His glory. There is an ultimate returning of God’s glory to Israel. So this watch progression looks like:
In all four watches we will be crying out to the Lord for revelation and advancement of His purposes in us as well as in all of the spheres of influence and assignment we are a part of.